Redeeming The Time

2 Timothy 3:1-5

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 

If we ever needed to witness more, it is now! Things aren't looking good in this great country we know as the United States of America. People are getting further away from the true and living God. Less people claim to be born again. Our young people are getting more rebellious. These scriptures in 2 Timothy describe the times that we are living in. We need to make the most of the time that we have to reach those that are lost in their sins. How many do we pass by from day to day that are without Jesus Christ in their life? They are all around us. Most people I talk to hope to go to Heaven. A lot don't even think about where they are going when they pass from this life. They are drifting dangerously without salvation through Jesus' blood! They are like a vehicle that is out of control and about to crash or go off a cliff! 

The Scriptures speak of redeeming the time twice:

And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:2, 15-17 KJV)

Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. (Colossians 4:5, 6)

From Barnes' Notes On The Bible- Redeeming the time - The word rendered here as "redeeming," means "to purchase; to buy up" from the possession or power of anyone; and then to redeem, to set free - as from service or bondage; notes, Galatians 3:13. Here it means, to rescue or recover our time from waste; to improve it for great and important purposes.

We can't buy back the time that we have wasted in the past or the missed opportunities that we have had, but we can make the most of the time that we have now. We can redeem the time be seeing the urgency of the hour! We must start conversations with as many as we can to compel them to come to the foot of the cross by repenting of their sins and putting their trust in Jesus! We must distribute tracts everywhere we go! We must seize every opportunity that comes our way! 

Let this be the prayer of the soul-winner: "Please use me, Lord! Send me to someone that isn't saved! Please give me divine appointments! I want to make the best of every opportunity that comes my way! I want to see souls pray through till they know that You have heard their cry and have washed them in the Blood! Let our cry be "Give us souls, lest we die!"

Great Soul-Winning Testimony From Go With The Gospel

Sister Claire Goodwin has a very encouraging evangelism blog. She is a soul-winner! She taught my pastor at Full Gospel Bible Institute in Export, Pennsylvania. She is the wife of an evangelist, Bro. Bob Goodwin. Here is her latest post about a man that she led to The Lord: 

GO WITH THE GOSPEL

What are you waiting for? If you are a genuine Christian, you can go with the Gospel NOW. Opportunities abound...next door, at Walmart, in the office, sitting at the mall, jogging in the park. Everywhere there are people who need the Lord. This blog is intended to inspire and motivate others to join the ranks of witnesses for Christ. May you answer HIS call today!

THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2013

GOD FOUND THE THRIFT STORE MAN

I AM OVERWHELMED WITH JOY AT THE BLESSING 

GOD GAVE ME TODAY!

We stopped in a little thrift store just to browse and as I was paying for a purchase I noticed a man walk in the door. He was dressed shabbily and had the appearance of a homeless person. It didn't take much to realize the man had little. 

I felt like I wanted to help him in some way, so as I put my change away I grabbed a couple of dollars and then pulled out of my purse a very good, colorful and clearly presented gospel tract, as well as a million dollar tract. I asked my husband if he would watch my cart as I headed through the store in search of that man. I went all the way through and headed back unable to see him anywhere.

A worker at the store, probably in his sixties, was seated on the side and as I passed him he asked if I found everything I was looking for. 

"No," I said. "Did you see that man who came in the store who appeared to be homeless?" 

He said, "Oh, yes. He asked if he could use the restroom."

So that's where he disappeared to! 

Walking over to this gentleman I said, "When I saw him I just felt I wanted to help him. 

When he comes out would you tell him a lady wanted to give him these couple of dollars?

And would you also give him these gospel tracts? They tell all about how we can be saved and ready to meet the Lord."

"I sure will," he replied as he looked more closely at me. "You're a holiness woman, aren't you?"

"Yes, sir, I am, all because of Jesus."

"Yes…because of Jesus. You're Pentecostal aren't you?"

"Yes, I am…."  I hardly got the words out of my mouth until I noticed his eyes begin to squint and tears begin to slip out….

"I could tell," he said, as his body began to tremble with emotion. His quivering lips spoke with a voice broken by tears: "It's all over you. I can see it." His big eyes just stared up at me.

This was amazing! I had never seen this man before and I couldn't help being awed at what God seemed to be doing right before my eyes. I had an immediate awareness of the presence of God, and of a divine moment in process. It all happened so quickly. I could feel the Spirit of God moving me as I stepped closer and put my hand on the man's shoulder.

"What you see and feel is the presence of God! Are you ready to meet Him? Is your heart right with God?"

A cloud of sadness hung over him as he shook his head from side to side and told me, "No. I drifted away."

I knew I was facing an event prepared by heaven. God was in control! It was powerful!

"Then what are you waiting for?" I urged him, "You need to pray now and get back to God. Jesus could come tonight and you wouldn't be ready. You could face eternity tonight, and where would you go?" 

I started to pray for him: "Lord, help this man to repent of his wandering and return to you right now."

He was crying and praying with me: "Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord."

I kept praying. "Ask the Lord to forgive you and cleanse you from all sin." 

I felt His power and knew that He was at work in this man's life.  

"God brought me here, just for you. What is your name?"

"James," he replied.

"Now, James, are you ready to meet the Lord? You prayed with me. Did you repent? If Jesus came tonight would you be ready to go with Him?"

He hung his head and said, "No."

"Then, we need to pray again, James. Whatever stands in the way, whatever you are holding on to that will keep you out of heaven, whatever is still sin in your heart…has to go. Are you willing to turn away from all sin and let Jesus come in and give you a new beginning right now?"

As he positively responded, we prayed some more until he acknowledged that he had surrendered it all, and was ready to live for God again.

His background was in good churches, and I urged him to come to the church where we were presently holding a month long seminar on "Commissioned to Discipleship; Commissioned to Ministry; and Commissioned to Evangelism."

What great thrill filled my heart as I left that store and realized what God had done! 

And the story isn't over yet. What about that homeless man! Wouldn't it be an ironic twist if James gave those tracts to that homeless man, and then gave him his newfound testimony, and won him to the Lord!!

How many more are out there, just like James, away from God and ready to come to the Lord at the urging of someone who cares, someone who has a burden to see the lost get saved. Will you let the Lord lead you and use you today?

Psalm 126:6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

The Call Of The Harvest

Matthew 9: 36 - 38

But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

Every Christian should be involved in soul-winning. We are given the ministry of reconciliation when we are born again. Christians begat Christians. We must answer the call of the harvest. The laborers are few in our day. I am thankful for the ones who have heard the call and have been obedient to answer, past and present. There are still those who haven't responded, though. It has been said that evangelism is not for every
Christian, but we are commanded to be witnesses. 2 Corinthians 5:17 -21 speaks of us as being ambassadors for Christ:

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

God has entrusted us to represent the Gospel in this dark world. We are reflections of the Light of the world. We reflect light to the darkness of mens' hearts. We are saved to see that others hear and know of this wonderful news of redemption. We are justified so that others can be justified.
We walk by the unsaved everyday in our daily routine. There are many opportunities that await us at the grocery stores, convenience stores, malls, or wherever there are people. The harvest calls for labourers. The harvest calls for help to get to the Savior. The man at the pool of Bethesda in John 5:1-9 "had no man" to put him in the pool to get his healing. So many are trying to get to Heaven on what they have been taught or raised on. Some are waiting for someone to show them the true way. They need help getting to the "pool" of salvation. The Christian is the one to be used to get them to the fountain that is filled with the cleansing blood of Jesus. I talked with a man from India at Walmart one night as I gave him a tract. He said that he had been in America for a year. Was I the first Christian to reach out to him? I hope not. A Spanish man by the name of Pedro told me that he was going back to Mexico that weekend. I gave him a tract to read. Was I the only one to witness to him while he was in this country? I pray not. Many come here to find truth. We don't have to go to other countries to experience the mission field. The mission field has come to us. How many have not heard from a Christian when they first come to our country? We can reach them with the Gospel! We must have our eyes open to all the opportunities that are before us. Our ears must be in tune to the call of the harvest. The harvest says "Please lead us to the truth." They cry "We are lost and need to be found!" They are trying to get to the "pool". We walk by the lost everyday. We must hear the call of the harvest in their lives. They cry out with their tattoos and piercings. They cry out with the trends and fashions that they are following. Their alcohol and drug use yell "I need help!". We must not let them get by us without witnessing to them. I have walked by many in stores with another opportunity to give them a tract or speaking to them. Some appreciate the fact that I have stopped to give them attention. Some have looked at me like I was crazy, but took a tract anyway. I haven't had many rejections lately. At Christmas, one man threw a tract down in front of me when I gave it to him. Another didn't take a tract when he heard the word "Gospel". A man at the mall told me to stop following him when I was trying to give him a million dollar bill. Did all these rejections discourage me? No! For every rejection, there are about 50 other people who will take a tract. There are others who will listen to someone reaching out to them.
There are still millions who are "spiritually lame". They need to be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.
John 14:6 - Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Do we believe this scripture? Does this mean Jesus is the only way to be saved? Yes! We must be busy about the business of winning the lost! Thank the Lord for our pastors, evangelist, and missionaries! They have obeyed there calling, but we still have been called to do the same: to rescue the perishing around us! So many are going to hell. We must do something about it!
The call of the harvest is great! The laborers are few! Are you one of the few? Let's not let the call of the harvest fall on deaf ears! Have you heard the call of the harvest today?

Gospel Tract Spotlight - Are You Doing Today What You Were Created To Do?

For the last two days, I have been using the "Are You Doing Today What You Were Created To Do? tract. It was in the April's Bezeugen Tract Club mailing. It's a great ice breaker and conversation starter. When I approach someone, I'll say "In this picture, this car was created to do this. People aren't doing what they are created to do. This is a Gospel tract. Read it when you get a chance." I also say that this is an interesting picture. I gave one to a man named Phillip in the foyer of Walmart. He said that he went to church, but wasn't born again. 

This tract can be ordered through onemilliontracts.com by going to the Bezeugen tract section. Please read the story behind the tract through the link below. Be encouraged to share your faith today! 

http://www.bezeugentractclub.org/?p=544

He that winneth souls is wise. Proverbs 11:30